One Mistake
by Liliththestormgoddess
Summary: One mistake. One mistake in all his years in the field, and it was still coming back to haunt him. He'd never expected to see them again…and yet here they were. Both of them.
1. Chapter 1

One Mistake

by Liliththestormgoddess

**Summary**: One mistake. One mistake in all his years in the field, and it was still coming back to haunt him. He'd never expected to see them again…and yet here they were. Both of them.

**Warnings**: Rated T for mild violence and strong language.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mission:Impossible or these characters, with the exception of the ones you do not recognize.

**A/N**: My first M:I fanfic. The plot bunny bit me one day and wouldn't let go until I wrote this down. It seems that whenever I decide I'm _not_ going to write in a fandom, I _do_…

This story is completed, so updates will hopefully be frequent. I wrote this in probably the span of two weeks – which I consider amazing, personally. Usually I start something and it gets finished years later. Somehow I managed to force myself to sit down and keep typing. So I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

William Brandt wasn't surprised the mission was shot to hell. Quite literally, in fact.

He cursed under his breath as he rolled sideways behind another wall, dodging the bullets flying his way. The bad guys were determined to hit him, it seemed. It just was not his day.

Crouching for a moment to take a deep breath, he spun to his left and quickly fired off several fast rounds around the edge of the wall before slamming back to safety a second later. Breathing hard, he smiled with grim satisfaction as he heard at least two men hit the ground, and not as many bullets being popped off.

His moment of peace was interrupted, as a small hand grenade landed not ten feet in front of him. Not wasting another moment, he took off to his right, launching himself off the railing, his momentum propelled by the explosion from where he had been sitting not moments before. Moments later he landed on a semi-cushioned spot consisting of what seemed like backpacks and sleeping bags, but he rolled off and was slinking away to hide behind another shelf before he could look them over.

Trying to catch his breath while coughing on some debris he had managed to swallow, Brandt switched out his magazine for a new one in his gun. He then leaned back and listened intently for any sounds to let him know if he was still being pursued. The only sounds he heard, however, was the crackling and shouting in his earpiece.

"What the hell was that!" That sounded like Ethan.

"Somebody blew the bloody fourth floor up! Where the bloody hell did they get that kind of fire power?" That was definitely Benji.

"Sit-rep, team. Everyone there?" Ethan demanded.

"Saturn here," Brandt replied darkly, peering into the shadows. "A little barbequed, but in one piece. That blast was aimed at me, sorry fellas."

"Pluto here. I'm on the fifth floor, all six goons accounted for. Making my way down."

"Copy that," Ethan replied. "Venus?"

Jane sounded out of breath. "I got Smith and the documents."

"Good. Make sure the coast is clear, then head to the rendezvous. Saturn, what's the situation on the unfriendlies?"

Brandt's finger twitched on the trigger, his eyes flicking all around the room, cataloguing everything. "I don't see any, but I don't think –" he broke off suddenly as one of the shadows moved in the far left corner. Without a second thought, he fired off several rounds, and then dove back behind a cart when the man retaliated. Within seconds, the shadow morphed into two – three – men who began firing mercilessly on Brandt.

Scrambling for better cover, Brandt fired off a few shots, taking down one man before having to switch out his magazine. He quickly placated the shouting voice of his team leader in his ear: "Saturn under heavy fire. And running out of ammo," he said as he looked sadly at his gun. He barely registered Ethan's response before he took off again, firing, determined to make it to the window. A jump out the third story window wasn't too bad, and it was quickly becoming his only option…

A sudden force slammed into his left leg, and he stumbled back. Too surprised to catch himself, he landed on his back, the wind leaving his lungs. He didn't have time to see what had caused him to fall, before two men were upon him. His gun having slid from his grip, he quickly kicked the gun from the hands of the first man who reached him, before diving into the second man's legs and taking him down. Using his momentum, he rolled back onto his feet and planted a solid kick to the downed man's solar plexus before thrusting an elbow back and up into the other man he'd sensed coming up from behind him. He didn't need to hear the brilliant crack to know he'd broken his nose. He followed it with an uppercut that pushed the man back several paces, before being grabbed from behind in a headlock.

Brandt struggled against the force of the man's bicep against his windpipe, kicking out again at the man who was approaching him from the front, sending him staggering back again. Seizing the chance, he gripped the man's arm and using all his upper body strength, threw him up and over his shoulder and onto the ground in front of him.

The man landed with a dull thud, clearly dazed and unmoving. Brandt, now breathing hard, took a step forward, but found his legs suddenly giving out on him.

The second man wasted no time. He rushed forward, and before Brandt knew it, he felt a blinding burst of pain in the side of his head before the ground rushed up to greet him, turning his world black.

The man who had knocked the agent unconscious now stood over him, his face set in a grim line, muzzle pointed at the agent's skull. He was about to pull the trigger when his co-worker wheezed from his position on the ground.

"No," he coughed. He got an inquisitive look from his gun-toting partner. "Donner wants him alive."

The man with the gun scowled before shoving his gun back into its holster. "Fine," he growled. "Then lets get the hell out of here and blow the place sky-high." With his partner's help, they dragged the unconscious agent from the building and into their truck. By some sheer dumb luck, they didn't run into anyone on their way out. One tossed some detonators into the corridors as he went, and once they were racing down the street, he hit the button and watched as the building went up in a spectacular fireball.

* * *

Ethan had gotten maybe twenty feet outside the building and towards the rendezvous when he heard the sounds of shots being fired over the communications, cutting Brandt off mid-sentence. He listened as his agent reported on his dwindling ammo. He wasn't sure if Brandt heard his proclamation of assistance, but he quickly changed directions and headed back inside.

Not knowing exactly what floor Brandt was on, and not getting a reply from his continued shouted questions, Ethan decided to just follow his ears and instinct. His gaze swept every corner, while his ears tried to discern where the gunshots were coming from. Above, he decided. Definitely above.

Moving swiftly up the stairs, he'd just reached the second floor when the explosion rocked the building, catapulting him out the window and onto the grass, where he rolled until his body slammed into a car.

* * *

When his eyes finally opened, all he could see was smoke. A horrible ringing filled his ears, threatening to crack open his skull. His brain felt like it had been battered around inside his head a few times. Choking on the smoke in his lungs, Ethan groaned and gingerly sat up, blinking in confusion at the smouldering wreckage before him. His eyes grew wide and he jumped up when he remembered what had transpired moments before. Brandt! He'd headed inside to find Brandt! Was he -?

His morbid thoughts were cut off as he registered the voices shouting in his ear. His hearing coming back, he realized that the voices were shouting his name. But they were getting louder…

Shaking his head to clear it, he suddenly spotted Jane running towards him, calling his name. She reached him, gripping his shoulders. He grabbed her shoulders too, but only to anchor himself as he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

"Jane," he gasped, his question silently conveyed by his pleading expression.

"I don't know," she cried, tearing her eyes from his to glance around them, before quickly pulling him after her. The two stumbled around the property, heading away from the heat of the fire. "I didn't see Benji or Brandt, and then I saw you – " she cut herself off, her eyes wide. "Oh my god, I hope they weren't in there!"

Ethan didn't want to say anything, but he was pretty sure that Brandt had been in the building. He didn't know about Benji, though, and could only pray that the agent had gotten out.

His prayers were somewhat answered when they arrived at the rendezvous point, and his gaze fell upon a bruised and pale Benji - but a bruised-and-pale-_alive_ Benji.

Benji's eyes were wide with fear, and he looked over their shoulders, obviously searching for Brandt. When he didn't see him, his gaze settled on Ethan, who felt like the world had just sat down on his shoulders as he shook his head sadly at the tech.

* * *

Two hours later, Ethan emerged from building with the clean-up team. The IMF had sent them down to clean up the damage and create a cover story for the explosion, but Ethan wasn't concerned with what happened after. He stalked over to where Jane and Benji waited off to the side. The expression on Ethan's face was pure anger, an expression the two agents weren't expecting to see in this situation. It became clear, however, when he spoke his next words:

"Brandt's body wasn't in the building. They've got him."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Thank you all for your lovely feedback! I enjoyed all your reviews, and thanks to all those who favourited and put this on alert.

Because you are all lovely people, you get a fast update! I have plans for the weekend so an update won't appear for another few days.

I am not a medical professional, so I apologize for any mistakes I made in this chapter. I did some research and tried my best!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Mission:Impossible.

Chapter 2

"You idiots!"

The enraged voice reverberated through the halls of the house, making the men it was directed at cringe slightly in fear.

The large man threw his hands into the air in exasperation. "You incompetent imbeciles! How did I hire such idiots!" He hurled a glass over their heads, shattering it against the wall as he raved. "I order you to do a simple task, but apparently it was too hard!" Another glass collided with the wall.

"I guess asking you to bring back the team leader wasn't simple enough?" he howled.

"I thought –" one of the men began to say, but was cut off as he ducked to avoid another projectile.

"Yeah? You thought wrong! That man is not Ethan Hunt!"

"Sir," the other man tried, but flinched as his boss rounded on him.

"Ethan Hunt has access to the codes I need! Ergo, I need Ethan Hunt! And that man," he pointed at the wall towards the next room for emphasis, "is NOT Ethan Hunt!"

Quiet reigned in the room as Donner seethed, before pouring himself a glass of brandy. Taking a long swallow, he turned his back on his men and shut his eyes tight, feeling the familiar burn as the alcohol moved down his throat. Everything was shot to hell, he cursed. His carefully laid plans, everything gone…

He paused, taking another gulp of the brandy. _Or maybe not_. New plans began to piece themselves together in his mind, and he smiled at his own deviousness.

He turned back to his two men, who regarded him warily. "Change of plans," he said. "We use Ethan Hunt's man as leverage for the codes. So I need him kept alive."

One of his men spoke up. "Sir, he has a bullet in his leg and he's lost a lot of blood. If he doesn't get medical attention soon, he'll probably die."

Donner scowled. "Then fix him up!"

The man seemed to pale. "I – I don't know how, sir." When Donner fixed his glare on the other man, he was quick to shake his head.

Donner growled and threw his half-full glass of brandy at their heads, showering them in it as it collided with the wall. "Incompetent bastards! Can you do anything?" He roared. Fuming, he pointed a finger at them. "I don't care how you do it, but get him fixed up. If he dies, you die." And with that, Donner stomped from the room.

* * *

Samantha Heart yawned for the fifth time in as many minutes as she filled out the last of her paperwork for the night. She was just finishing her shift at the hospital, and couldn't wait to get back home and crawl into bed.

As she completed the last set of forms, she dropped the clipboard onto the desk of the nurse's station, smiling tiredly at the woman there. "'Night, Candice," she said.

Candice smiled back. "See yeah, Sam. Drive safe."

Samantha waved in reply and headed down to the locker room, shrugging on her coat and grabbing her purse. Groaning as she ran a hand through her brown wavy locks, she trudged through the exit and made her way towards her car.

She was so tired that she didn't notice the man until it was too late. The hands that wrapped around her body and her mouth set off every alarm system in her body and she immediately reacted. She struggled and kicked out, her heart pounding in her chest and a million scenarios and reasons for her abduction screaming through her head, before being unceremoniously tossed into the trunk of a car.

Terror took over her as the lid slammed shut and darkness enveloped her like a suffocating blanket. She screamed and kicked and scratched at the roof, trying in vain to get out, desperate for someone to hear her.

It wasn't long before her voice became hoarse and her body ached from its abuse. She became quiet, and tried to gain some control over herself. _Don't freak out,_ she tried to tell herself. _You need to be calm…you'll be no use to yourself if you have a mental breakdown_…

Which was easier said than done. It took several long minutes to fight off the fog that kept threatening to invade her mind and take her away. She would not faint; she wouldn't. She delved down deep into her centre, latching onto her sanity with an iron grip. After some breathing exercises, she found that the fog was gone and she could now think clearly.

Her body was jolted around as the car travelled across uneven ground, but Samantha was wracking her brains, trying to figure out what they wanted with her.

Ten minutes later, she felt the car slam to a stop and the engine turn off. Every muscle in her tensed, ready to spring, to fight, to do anything and everything to stay alive. It was fight or flight kicking in, and she embraced it.

But when the trunk popped open and a gun was shoved into her face, her mind drew a blank and she froze. "Get out, and no funny business," the man holding the gun growled.

Knowing that complying with his orders most likely did not end in a painful death, Samantha gingerly crawled from the trunk. A second goon appeared beside her and grabbed her arm in his tight grip, dragging her with him. She stumbled with him into a dark, unfamiliar house.

The pair pulled her into the kitchen, where the only light came from. A man in an expensive looking suit sat at the table, a glass in his hand. He smiled amiably up at the three, and gestured towards the seat across from him. Samantha was shoved into the chair.

"I am sorry for this rather abrupt meeting," the man murmured as he poured another glass, "but time was ticking and I am not one for asking politely." He smiled at her, and pushed the glass towards her. Samantha stared at it, before looking back up at the man.

"What – what do you want from me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. This was her worst nightmare, she realized. She didn't want this to happen, not again –

The man chuckled softly. "I have a man who is, shall we say, leaking. I do not wish for him to die, however. You are a nurse, yes?" he asked, eyeing her identification that was still clipped to her shirt. She nodded. "Good," he smiled. "I should have all the necessary equipment, yes?" he asked, this time staring at his men who stood behind Samantha. Both quickly nodded in the affirmative. "Excellent, excellent. This way, Ms…?"

"Samantha," she whispered, before clearing her throat and stating a little louder, "Samantha Heart."

His grin was practically predacious. "Alright, Ms. Heart. My patient is through here. And once our business is concluded, you shall be released." He opened a door for her, and she barely had time to glance inside before she was shoved through the doorway, and the door locked behind her.

The lighting was brighter compared to the kitchen, and Samantha had to squint for a moment before her eyes adjusted. The first thing she noticed was the unmoving figure on the floor.

Forgetting where she was and that she was being held hostage, her nurse's instincts took over and from then on, nothing mattered but the patient. She dropped to her knees and pulled the blanket off the shivering figure.

The shivering was not a good sign, she knew. He was going into shock. The blood soaking his left pant leg quickly told her that it was because of blood loss. His skin was pale, too, she assessed, as her eyes and hands roamed over the rest of his body, checking for other serious injuries. Other than several ugly bruises and some scrapes, nothing else stood out.

Searching the room, she quickly found a stash of medical supplies sitting in the corner of the small room. She dragged them over, opening the lid of the first container and rummaging through it, pulling out everything she needed.

First, she cut away the leg of his pants, revealing the wound. Soaking up as much blood as she could so that she could see what she was dealing with, Samantha donned a pair of gloves and inspected his leg closer. A bullet wound. Turned his leg a little, she noted with some relief that there was also an exit wound. That was good; at least she didn't have to dig it out.

Cleaning and disinfecting the wound and surrounding area didn't take long, and every once in a while she would glance towards the unconscious man. He never stirred, and she was glad for that. It made her job easier, and she hadn't found any painkillers in the stash of medical supplies.

She quickly stitched up the wound, not bothering with anything fancy. It wasn't her best work, but it would hold, and that was all that mattered. With that completed, her next step was the blood transfusion.

The transfusion required a little more specialized equipment, but she was relieved to see that it was all there. She didn't want to think about how it had all gotten there, however.

Samantha set up the blood bag on the rolling IV station and inserted the needle into a vein in the man's arm, making sure that the catheter was situated properly. Digging around in the supplies once more, she found penicillin and quickly injected it into her patient, hoping to ward off any infections.

Samantha finally breathed again after she covered the man back up with the blanket. She watched the blood slowly drip back into his body, praying that she had done everything she could to save his life. She didn't know who he was or what he had done; she didn't know if he was good or bad, but he was hurt and he was a patient. She was going to do everything possible to bring him back.

For the next few hours, she sat beside him in her silent vigil, changing the dressing on his leg as needed and switching out the blood bag for the next one. She had to estimate the amount of blood he'd lost, but figured the safe bet was for 3 pints of blood. After just one, she was relieved to note the colour returning to his face. But still, he did not move, and that began to worry her as the night turned into morning.

Leaning back against the wall, she let out a loud sigh, staring at the ceiling. She felt sweaty and gross, still in her uniform, and her hair clung to her neck uncomfortably. She'd twisted it into a bun long ago, but it had since fallen out, and she didn't have the strength to fix it.

Now that she knew why she'd been grabbed, she felt oddly comforted. It did not diminish her sense of fear; that would have been stupid. She didn't think for a moment that that man would just let her walk out of there, not when she'd seen his face. But she felt relieved that she was not here for leverage. She closed her eyes in a silent prayer of thanks. So, chances were, they hadn't found her. They didn't know who she was, and her identity was still safe.

Suddenly, the man on the floor stirred, and her eyes snapped open.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who reveiwed, alerted, or favourited! I love the feedback!

**Warnings:** Strong language in this chapter. Ye be warned.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Mission:Impossible.

Chapter 3

The first sensation that returned to William Brandt was pain. His whole body felt like it was made of lead and his left leg in particular felt like it was on fire. Even the small movement of his head sent needles driving into his skull. He tried to remember why he felt like this, delving deep into his memory…

The events came rushing back like a landslide, ploughing straight into him. His eyes shot open and immediately scanned the room, looking for a threat. That's when he noticed Julia Hunt leaning over him, a gentle hand on his chest and a searching look in her eyes.

"Easy, easy there," she said softly.

Brandt immediately shut his eyes again. This was a nightmare, he was sure of it. His mind was conjuring up images of Julia just to haunt him. Even though he now knew her to be alive, he still carried around with him the guilt of failing in his mission to protect her.

This was just like that nightmare, he decided, where Ethan Hunt stepped into the car where he sat with the Secretary –

_No, wait_, his mind said. That wasn't a nightmare. The bombing of the Kremlin, the assassination of the Secretary, joining Ethan's team…His eyes snapped open and Julia was still there, still staring at him.

_Oh, shit._

Julia smiled down at him, a hand still on his chest. She must have noticed the fear in his eyes because she immediately tried to calm him. "It's alright, you're okay. My name's Samantha Heart and I'm taking care of you. Your leg's going to be fine, I've stitched it up and there doesn't seem to be an infection."

At the mention of his leg, Brandt's gaze shot towards his lower half, but the blanket obstructed his view. He remembered now; trying to get away from the men shooting at him and stumbling because something crashed into his leg.

_A bullet. Go figure._

His eyes then caught the needle in his arm, and he followed the tubes that led to the makeshift IV and blood dripping into his arm. Julia followed his gaze and said, "You lost a lot of blood. I had to start you on a transfusion. I'll remove it now." She then pulled the needle from his arm and moved towards his legs, throwing back the blanket to check on his leg. "So…what's your name?" she asked.

_Oh God_. "William Brandt." He tried sitting up, but in a flash Julia was back at his head, pushing him back to the ground.

"Easy there, William. Just relax, okay? You lost a lot of blood and you're still weak. Just relax."

Brandt let himself be pushed back down, only because it was so much more comfortable on the floor and he didn't think he had the energy to maintain an upright position. Julia went back to check on his leg and Brandt stared after her, a dozen curses flying through his mind. This couldn't be happening. How could this be happening? Of all the damned ironic things that could go wrong on a mission – this one took the whole damned cake.

"What's going on? Why are you here?" he asked, despite the fact that he didn't know why _he_ was here. Wherever 'here' was. All he knew was that Julia was in danger, and Ethan was going to kill him. Not that it was his fault, per se, but Ethan would sure see it as his fault. But Brandt swore when he knew that Julia was alive that he would do whatever it took to protect her and keep her safe – again. He wasn't going to fail. Again. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she died again because of him.

She shot him a puzzled look. "I was going to ask you that. Two men grabbed me when I was walking to my car after work." She rummaged through the medical supplies and pulled out fresh bandages. "I work at the hospital, as a nurse. They brought me here, and this man – I guess he's the boss – told me to keep you alive. That's all I know." She finished rewrapping his wound and sat down by his side, studying his face. "What _is_ going on? What do they want with you?"

_Holy fucking shit. _

Brandt could detect the flicker of fear in her eyes. She was a strong girl, he could tell, but she was still terrified. He realized that she probably wasn't sure whether to look at him as an ally or an enemy, and the fact that they were currently locked in the same room together obviously unsettled her.

He looked her in the eye. "Truthfully, I don't know why I'm here. Or where I am. I –" he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he tried to think of what was appropriate to tell her. He decided on just enough to placate her and to put her at ease. "I won't hurt you, if that's what you're afraid of. I'm one of the good guys."

She laughed at that. "You're not in much of a condition to hurt me, but all the same, that's a bit of a relief." His blue eyes twinkled back at her.

He continued hesitantly, "I can't really tell you much more than that. I think it's better if you don't know."

Julia nodded thoughtfully. She was grateful for his honesty, at least. "I think I understand." Perhaps she didn't want to know just who he was. Knowing sometimes had dire consequences.

"I won't let them hurt you. I promise you, I won't let them," he said sincerely, his gaze never wavering from her face. Her breath hitched in her chest, finding something so real and honest in his emotion-filled eyes that she immediately believed him. Even if he was lying on the floor after nearly bleeding to death.

A sudden wave of pain swept over him, and Brandt tightly shut his eyes. He couldn't forget his injuries, though he sure wanted to try. But that wouldn't help him and it certainly wasn't going to help Julia. When the pain returned back to a constant bad ache instead of white-hot pain, he noticed his sore throat as he licked his dry lips. Julia noticed too, because she quickly fetched a bottle of water for him. She held it to his lips, supporting him as he sat up a little to take a few sips. When he put his head back down, he decided he felt a great deal better. But still his mental curses continued to bounce around his head.

_Fucking hell, I'm in some serious shit and Julia is here with me. _

_Shit. Shit, shit, shit._

_Holy shit, how did this happen?_

* * *

Samantha Heart watched William as he sat up against the wall, his eyes closed and his breathing heavy. He had insisted on sitting up, and although she didn't like it, he seemed to be doing all right for now. She refused to take her eyes off him, however, and constantly checked for any signs of medical complications.

Despite his assurances, Samantha was terrified. Bullets were never a good sign. And she had the feeling that she was caught in the middle of something big. Again. It was a place she never wanted to be again, and yet, here she was. Her only hope was that no one knew who she was. Maybe then she could escape unscathed.

Suddenly, the sound of voices and footsteps reached her ears. She jumped up, noticing that William's eyes were wide open and he was struggling to his feet.

"Help me up," he said, groaning as he tried to lift his weight.

"No, you shouldn't –" she tried to tell him, but he silenced her.

"Help me up," he demanded in such a way that there was no way she could refuse. His command held such power to it that she was sure any person it was directed at would have jumped to attention.

She supported his right side while he used his left arm to steady himself against the wall. Sweat broke out on his forehead, but there was determination in his eyes. The men were getting closer and he turned to her, his eyes burning bright.

"Stay behind me, at the back of the room," he told her.

She shook her head. "Will, you can barely stand."

"Just do it," he urged, but she could be stubborn too.

"No, you're in no shape to tell me –"

The men were almost at the door. "Just get behind me Julia!" he hissed.

She gasped, feeling as if the whole world had just been knocked on its side. She stared at him and watched as his eyes widened as he realized his slip. She stumbled back a few steps, straight to the back of the room, right where he'd wanted her. She hadn't consciously followed his order; she'd only wanted to get away from him.

Blood pounded in her ears and her heart felt like it was trying to jump out of her chest. Her arms encircled herself, as if trying to provide some measure of comfort. She watched as William still locked wide blue eyes on her, before turning around to face the opening door.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: Thanks for all the lovely reviews, and those of you who put this on your alerts and favourites list!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Mission:Impossible.

Chapter 4

Brandt stared into Julia's shocked gaze. A moment later, he realized why she was looking at him like that: he had called her Julia.

She backed away from him, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. God, he wasn't thinking clearly through the pain and fear for her safety. And now he'd totally blown it.

_Shit, shit, shit!_ He thought before turning to watch his captors walk in. Now wasn't the time. He had to stay focused on these men and getting the two of them safely out of here, and then he would deal with his slip-up.

The first two men who walked through the door he recognized as the grunts who had taken him down. They toted guns and situated themselves on either side of the door, flanking the third man who walked in. Brandt recognized him immediately. He knew exactly what he wanted and how this was going to go down.

The man in the suit smiled widely at him. "Ah, Agent William Brandt. How nice to see you upright." He glanced over at Julia, standing at the back of the room. "I see Ms. Heart patched you up quite well. I am pleased."

Brandt took a lot of comfort in the fact that Donner had used Julia's new name. It meant that he didn't know who she was and that she was just here under an unfortunate coincidence.

"Matthew Donner," Brandt hissed the name. Being a former analyst, he knew a lot of people, but he also recognized the man before him because he was the centre of their latest botched mission.

Donner chuckled. "So we both know each other. Wonderful. No need for frivolous introductions."

"Why don't you let her go," Brandt said, nodding his head towards Julia.

Donner frowned. "No. No, I don't think so. See, I need her here to keep you alive. And I need you," he pointed at Brandt, "to help me retrieve something."

Brandt didn't move from his spot. Donner smiled.

"Aha!" he exclaimed. "So you know what I seek."

"I don't have the documents," Brandt growled, his heart rate speeding up.

"No," Donner conceded. "No, that is true. But your team does."

The full implications of that statement set in. Brandt shook his head. "I won't do it. I won't help you."

Donner shrugged and turned to one of his men, who strode forward and grabbed Julia, shoving a gun towards her head.

Frustrated, Brandt spun back towards Donner, who held a cell phone in his hands, offering it to the agent. "Call your leader, and she doesn't get hurt." He tipped his head and smiled disarmingly. Brandt wanted to wipe that smile right off his face, but he knew he couldn't because they had Julia, and he could feel his strength waning.

Brandt fixed Donner with a hard stare before accepting the cell phone and punching in Ethan's number.

* * *

Ethan was fuming as he paced restlessly around the small room that contained him and the rest of his team. "Nothing? Are you sure?" he barked at Benji, who was seated at the table, his laptop in front of him.

"Yes, definitely. His communications went offline right after the blast, and I can't locate his cell phone signal. It must have been destroyed, because I would be able to get a signal even if he'd turned it off."

Ethan shut his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Jane, any word from Smith?"

Jane sadly shook her head. "He's not saying a word."

"But we can assume that Donner's behind this," Ethan stated, resuming his pacing. He was frustrated and angry. Angry with Brandt for getting kidnapped, angry with Donner for taking his agent, angry with himself for letting it happen…

His cell phone ringing interrupted his anguished thoughts. Pulling it out, he frowned at the blocked ID. His fellow team members watched him as he answered. "Hello?"

"Ethan," a breathless voice said.

"Brandt!" Ethan cried, wondering whether he should give his agent a sound dressing down or cry for joy. "What the hell? Where are you? What –"

"Ethan," Brandt interrupted. "Ethan, don't. I –" there was a sudden scuffling in the background before a new voice came through the phone, making Ethan's blood run cold.

"Agent Hunt, I presume?" the cold voice asked.

Ethan froze and shot Benji a look, pointing emphatically at the phone in his hand and at the laptop in front of the tech. Benji nodded and quickly began typing furiously. Ethan set the phone down on the table and put it on speaker.

"Who the hell is this?" he demanded.

A cold chuckle filled the room. "I don't think you're in the position to make demands. But I'm sure you know quite well who I am."

Ethan did know. "Donner," he growled.

The man laughed. "Oh, good. So, let's get on to business, shall we? See, I have your agent, and you have something of mine. And seeing as we both desire to have what is ours back, I'm offering to make you a deal."

"I'm not handing over those codes," Ethan told him.

Donner sighed. "Well, I thought you might say that." The sounds of a struggle ensued, and they could hear Brandt yelling in the background "Don't do it, Ethan!" before his words were lost in a scream of pain.

Donner's voice came back on the line, the noises in the background eerily silent. "I will call you back in two hours." And then the line went dead.

Ethan stared at the phone for long moments, a million things running through his head. He looked up at an ashen Benji, who shook his head. The trace had failed. He focused on Jane, who was gripping the chair like it was her lifeline. Ethan kept hearing Brandt's shouts echoing in his head, and frustrated and furious, he slammed his fist down onto the table, making everyone jump with the sudden noise.

Then he stalked out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: Hmm, these chapters seem to be getting shorter and shorter! Sorry about that! I seperated them into chapters when I first wrote the story, but I believe that after this one they will get longer. Anyways, again a huge thanks to those who left reviews, favourited or put this on their alerts list!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mission:Impossible.

Chapter 5

Brandt, unprepared for the kick to his injured leg, went down in a heap, unable to contain his cry of pain. Over the ringing in his ears, he heard Donner tell Ethan that he would call him back in two hours before him and his gunmen left the room.

Groaning, he shifted his weight to his right leg, and inspected his left leg. Just as he'd feared, there was blood soaking up the bandages. He'd torn the stitches. He moved to fix it when a hand rested atop his. Surprised, he looked up into Julia's eyes. She looked scared and pale, but she gently pushed his hand from his wound.

"Lean against the wall," she whispered. He detected the slight waver in her voice but didn't comment on it. He did as she asked, and she got the necessary materials out to re-stitch his leg. Neither of them spoke until after she'd finished.

* * *

Julia didn't know what to do. She didn't know whom she should be more terrified of: the men who held her hostage with their guns or William Brandt who obviously knew who she really was?

Standing with her back against the wall, she listened to the exchange in front of her. She shouldn't have been so surprised to hear the man in the suit call William an agent. The guns, the bullets, the obvious secrets…it screamed top secret government agency. She should know.

She listened as William told them to let her go. This man, Matthew Donner, wanted documents that William didn't have. She could see where this was going. _Oh my god_, she thought, as one of the goons grabbed her and put a gun to her head. She didn't say anything. She didn't move. She just held her breath as William cast a frantic look at her and then turned to glare at Donner. He swiped the cell phone from his hand and began dialling.

When Donner addressed the man on the phone as Agent Hunt, Julia suppressed the gasp that rose in her throat. She watched as William was wrenched away from Donner, held off by the other goon. She watched in horror, as it seemed that Ethan denied Donner's request, and in turn Donner nodded to the goon holding off William. He delivered a swift kick to his injury, and she cried out along with him as he collapsed on the floor.

Seconds later, it was just the two of them left in the room.

She watched as William struggled to get up and fix himself. Again, her duty as a nurse made her step in and take control, no matter the fear that held her. She tried not to shake as she sewed his leg back up. So many things were running through her head, things that had just been revealed to her in the last few minutes. This man, an Agent William Brandt, knew who she really was. He also worked with her husband. He was also being used for leverage to get Ethan to hand over some documents. She knew this was bad; Ethan didn't like to lose people. She knew that, even if he never told her directly. He cared for everyone; he wouldn't stand for losing anyone if he had anything to say about it. That meant that now Ethan would be joining this screwed up party, putting himself in danger. She also knew that she herself was being used as leverage against William. His earlier words about not letting the bad guys hurt her came back to her. She thought he was so sincere then; now, she knew for sure. If he worked with Ethan, then she knew he was one of the good guys.

When she was finished with his leg, she sat down cross-legged beside him. Biting her lip, she shot him a glance, unsure of what to say now. He spoke first.

"I'm sorry," he said. "This _really_ wasn't the way things were supposed to go."

"You work with my husband," she said, matter-of-factly.

He paused, locking eyes with her. "Yes."

She nodded, studying the floor. "How…? He said nobody would know," she whispered.

William shifted. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I was there, in Croatia."

Startled, she looked back up at him.

"I was there, leading a team of agents. Shadowing you and Ethan. Making sure you were safe, keeping an eye on things. A simple job, really. And then…"

"And then I was killed," Julia finished. She watched his sad eyes. She began to understand.

"I'd failed, plain and simple. I wanted out of the field. I couldn't trust myself anymore. So I got a desk job, until…who do I run into in Russia some time later? Ethan." William chuckled, rubbing his eyes. "Well, long story short, we barely made it out with our lives, and he took me to the rest of his team. The agency was shot to hell and we were wanted men, but there was a…situation, and we knew we had to fix it. So before I knew it, I was back in the field, working alongside the man who's wife I let get killed."

Julia watched him silently.

He continued, "After the mission, I told him. He knew by then, of course. But then he told me that they had faked your death. He trusted me, I guess, to not tell anyone. Or so that I wouldn't walk around with so much guilt all the time." He shrugged. "Either way, I was back in the field, and even though Ethan told me that it was _his_ job to protect you, I still felt responsible. I still felt that it was my job."

"I'm alive," Julia reminded him, rubbing his arm soothingly. She got a small smile in return.

"Yeah, I know. But you're not supposed to be here," he said. She didn't know what to say to that, because he was right.

After a few moments of silence, William turned back towards her. "Julia," he said, "I will get you out of here, even if it's the last thing I do."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Again, thanks so much to everyone who's left a review, put this on alert, or favourites! Here's the next chapter!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Mission:Impossible

Chapter 6

"So, what exactly does Donner want?" Julia asked.

"Documents…codes," Brandt responded as he searched through all the medical supplies.

"What sort of codes?"

"All kinds. Everything. Bank codes, passwords, access codes for nearly every business in the United States…incredibly messy if it got out." He began pulling out various supplies, frowning as he did so.

Julia looked up from the box she was looking through, shooting Brandt a puzzled look. "How the hell did those get out in the first place then?"

"Donner hired master hacker Nathan Smith to compile a list of codes and passwords of every major business and corporation in the United States. It took him nearly a year because he was dodging firewalls and trying to remain undetected. He slipped up, though, because our technician caught wind of it. He got cocky near the end and we intercepted the exchange."

"All right, so what do we do?" Julia asked tentatively.

Brandt paused. That was the million-dollar question. "We're going to get out of here." He looked at his watch. "In about half-an-hour, Donner's going to come back in here and place a call to Ethan. Ethan's going to demand to speak to me before he'll conduct business. I'm going to get a message out to him."

"And the codes?"

"Will never reach Donner's hands if I have anything to say about it."

* * *

Ethan sat with his teammates around the table, waiting for Donner's call. They had all the appropriate equipment set up and ready to go. Ethan even had the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind, because there was no way he was giving over those codes, and there was also no way he was going to let them hurt Brandt.

When his phone rang, everyone sprang into action. Benji immediately hunkered down in front of his computer and Ethan snatched up the phone.

"Hunt," he barked.

Donner's voice filled the room. "Good evening, Agent Hunt. Are we ready to negotiate now?"

"I want to know that my man is still alive. If he's dead, there's no deal and you can bet your ass that you won't live for another hour."

He chuckled, finding Ethan's sharp voice amusing. "Of course, Agent."

The sound of a phone switching hands was heard, and then they heard Brandt's voice on the line. "I'm fine, don't worry about me," he said quickly. "I know I'm a liability but –" he was cut off as the phone was yanked back.

"Yes, yes, touching," Donner drawled sarcastically. "There, you see Agent Hunt? He is alive. Now, we talk business." Ethan listened as Donner relayed the location of the meeting that was to take place in an hour's time. "Any funny business and your man is dead." The sudden dial tone that sounded signalled the end of the call.

Benji groaned in frustration. "He kept the call too short. He knew we'd be trying to trace it."

Jane looked at Ethan worriedly. "What are we going to do?"

Ethan was still staring at the phone. He kept playing and replaying Brandt's words. There was a certain way that he'd said them: fast and hurried. Like he'd wanted Ethan to listen and not interrupt him. As if his words were important.

"Benji," he said. "Can you replay that call? I want to hear Brandt's words again."

Confused, Benji replayed the tape.

"_I'm fine, don't worry about me. I know I'm a liability but_ –"

"Stop it there," Ethan commanded, and the tape was paused. He began to pace the room. "Does that sound funny to anyone?"

Jane nodded slowly. "I feel like he's trying to tell us something…but what?"

Ethan rubbed his chin in thought. "We couldn't trace Brandt's cell phone, so we assumed it was destroyed in the blast."

"Yeah," Benji confirmed, trying to follow Ethan's thought process. Ethan's cogs were spinning a mile a minute.

"The number that Donner's been calling from is blocked. I'd say it's safe to say it's a different cell phone…his own, probably."

"Uh-huh…" Jane commented, watching him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Well, Brandt wouldn't just call us up to hand over the codes. There's no way he'd sacrifice the mission just because he's been caught. Even if it meant a personal sacrifice," he added, though the thought made his stomach churn. But it's what any of them would do.

"So," Benji said, looking like he'd finally caught up to Ethan, "there must be something else in the equation, something they're holding against him."

"Exactly," he said emphatically. "Play it again."

This time, all three agents listened intently, dissecting every word Brandt said.

"_I'm fine, don't worry about me. I know I'm a liability but_ –"

Jane frowned. "_'Don't worry about me, I'm a liability'_," she repeated. "That sounds like he's contradicting himself."

"Liability…liability," Ethan muttered, running a hand through his hair. Something about that word…Brandt was trying to tell them something…

"Oh!" Benji suddenly exclaimed, sitting up straighter in his chair, regarding them all with wide eyes.

"What?" Ethan yelled, his impatience getting the better of him.

"Do you remember that mission in Madrid?" Benji asked.

Jane and Ethan nodded. "Where Marko had the translator, using him as the go-between?" Ethan asked.

"Yes, that one! The translator was a civilian, and Brandt was so pissed because he hadn't thought to add him into the equation - 'cuz Marko snatched him up last minute - and we couldn't take out Marko with the translator there, and Brandt kept calling him – "

"A liability," Ethan finished.

"Are you saying he's trying to tell us there's a civilian with him?" Jane asked.

"Makes sense, doesn't it?" Ethan mused, continuing his pacing. "That's his leverage. That's why he's going along with this, as far as we know."

"Okay," Jane agreed, sitting back in her chair, processing the new information. "So, there's a civilian with him. A liability, meaning that they can't be expected to help us." She chewed on a lip. "It also makes getting Brandt out of there harder."

"We don't know where Donner is," Benji pointed out, "and we're meeting him in an hour. We can't pull Brandt out."

"We'll go to the meeting point," Ethan decided. "Give Donner bad codes, snatch Brandt and the civilian."

Benji groaned and dropped his face into his hands. "This is starting to sound a lot like the Cobalt mission."

"But this time there's no one to authenticate the codes," Ethan pointed out. "I want you and Jane on high ground as snipers." Ethan paused. "We'll take them all out if we have to. We are getting Brandt back."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**: Thanks everyone who's reading/reviewing/favourited/alerted this story! Glad you're enjoying it! More action in this chapter.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Mission:Impossible

Chapter 7

"He only has the two guards?" Brandt asked Julia again, for the fifth time.

"Yes, the big ones with the guns. They were the only ones I saw," she said again, starting to feel exasperated.

Brandt frowned. "Huh. Guy must be pretty overconfident. I can handle all three no problem."

Julia raised an eyebrow. "Overconfident, much?" she asked. He glared at her.

"Alright," Brandt muttered, holding the scalpel in his hands, a similar sharp tool in Julia's. _These guys really are idiots_, he thought_. Leaving us in here with sharp tools._ It didn't matter that they didn't have the guns. Brandt didn't need them. He'd been taught to make use of anything by turning it into a weapon. "They should be here any minute. You ready?" Julia nodded, clutching her weapon and looking determined.

They moved to either side of the door, tensing when they heard footsteps approaching. This was it. Both held their breaths, preparing themselves for the battle ahead.

As soon as the door opened wide enough and the first guard shoved his gun in ahead of him, Brandt made his move. He grabbed the barrel of the gun, jerking it towards him and over his shoulder, so that the shots the guard let off sailed harmlessly over his shoulder and buried themselves in the wall. Julia threw her weight into the door, slamming it into the guard, causing him to let go of the gun.

Brandt quickly readjusted the weapon, ducked as the second guard took a shot at him, and then took out both guards with two successive shots.

He leaped up, finger hovering on the trigger, scanning the halls. It was silent.

Julia crept up behind him, reminding him that he had someone with him, someone he had to protect. Stooping over to the other fallen guard, he pulled the gun from his hands and handed it back to Julia. "Know how to use one of these?" he asked.

"Yeah," she breathed, and he shot her a look.

_Oh, yeah, she's married to Ethan Hunt. Makes sense. _

So he just nodded and moved swiftly down the hallway, keeping his body in front of Julia's. Donner was somewhere nearby, he was sure. There was no way he would just take off, unless he was a major coward.

He'd just rounded the corner when Julia screamed, mere seconds before shots were fired.

Thankful for his quick reflexes, the second the scream came from Julia's mouth he'd grabbed her and rolled, hearing the bullets make contact with the wall, where they'd been standing seconds before. When they came to a stop, he lay across her and fired off to where the shots had been. He didn't hear anything, and no one fired back, so he figured Donner had run off again.

After several seconds, he rolled off of Julia, stood up and offered a hand to her.

She looked a little shaken, but clutched the gun with all her might. She made eye contact with Brandt and nodded that she was fine.

They continued on through the house and Brandt thought that they were home free when they made it to the kitchen, when he suddenly heard Julia cry out.

He whipped around, gun at the ready, to find that Julia was not right behind him as he had originally thought. Several feet from him, Donner held Julia in front of him, using her as a human shield, and holding a gun to her head. He cursed himself and wondered how Donner had gotten the drop on him. They hadn't even heard him coming.

Donner grinned maniacally. "Drop your weapon, Agent," he said.

Brandt stared hard at Julia, who watched him with wide eyes. She wasn't moving or speaking, but it was clear that she was terrified. "Don't do this," Brandt replied.

Donner licked his lips, and to Brandt the image was of an animal looking forward to a feast. The imagery was not one he appreciated. "I want those codes," he snarled, tightening his grip on Julia. "The codes!" he repeated.

"I can't do that." Brandt's voice was as steady as the gun in his hands. His voice didn't waver. Calm, clear.

"Put down your gun," Donner cried desperately, jabbing it into Julia's skull for emphasis. "Or she dies."

Brandt didn't move. He was watching; calculating.

In the end, Donner's downfall was his height. He was taller than Julia, enough so that Brandt had a perfect shot at his head.

A single gunshot rang out in the room and Julia cried out as she fell, taken down by the deadweight that still held her. Blood sprayed the three occupants and the rest of the room.

Brandt hurried over to a frantic Julia and hauled her up. "You okay?" he asked, surveying her bloodstained clothes.

She breathed hard for a moment and then nodded. "Thanks," she whispered and picked her gun back up.

The two crept over to Donner's still form, guns held out in front of them. Both regarded the bullet hole in his forehead, directly between his eyes.

Exhaling, Brandt began to search his pockets. He pulled out a ring of keys and his wallet. Nothing useful was found in the wallet, so it was thrown back on top of the dead man. The keys were kept.

When Brandt stood up, he realized just how much stress he'd put on his injured leg during the scuffle. It screamed at him in protest, and it took him much longer than he liked to make it back to a standing position. Julia held onto his bicep, offering some assistance.

"Let's get out of here," Brandt told her, and the two moved to the front doors. Stepping out into the darkening night, Brandt quickly unlocked Donner's car, sitting conveniently in the driveway. Julia tried to protest when he slid into the driver's seat, but he ignored her and his screaming leg. He started up the car, pulled out of the driveway, and turned left onto the nearest street.

"Do you know where we are?" Brandt asked, craning his neck to try and read the street signs. He'd been unconscious when they'd taken him, and none of the men had provided any clues as to where they were.

Julia bit her lip. "I'm not sure." She squinted at a passing street sign. "They threw me in the trunk when they brought me to the house." They passed a street, and the name caught her eye. "Oh!" she said. "Yes, I recognize where we are! Not too far from the hospital."

"Okay," Brandt said. "We need to get to the meeting place. Know how to get there?"

Julia nodded and began to direct him.

* * *

Jane readjusted her position on a nearby roof overlooking the rendezvous area. She pressed her eye to the scope of the rifle she held, scanning the area, keeping an eye out for Donner and his men.

"Venus, Pluto, report," Ethan's voice came through her earpiece.

"I don't see any sign of them," Jane replied.

"Same here," Benji said from his position on a rooftop across the way.

"All right. We've still got about five minutes. Keep your eyes peeled."

Jane scanned the ground, pausing for a moment over Ethan's pacing figure. He stood as directed, right next to his car. His face was blank, but she knew he was worried as hell right now.

Jane adjusted her scope again, scanning the edges and immediate area. Several cars, all speeding and squealing around corners, caught her eye.

"Guys, I think I got 'em," she said. "Convoy, six cars, half a click away."

"Roger that," Benji said. "I see them too. Going bloody fast, though."

Jane focused on the first car, watching as the driver leaned out the window for a second to fire at the pursuing cars. She frowned and studied the man.

"Oh, shit," she swore. "That's Brandt! I repeat, Brandt is in the first car, the other five are chasing him."

"Can you confirm there's a civilian with him?" Ethan asked.

"Confirmed," Benji noted. "I can see someone sitting in the passenger's seat."

"Copy that," Ethan responded. "Jane, Benji, I want those cars off his tail."

"Got it," they both replied.

Jane let out a breath and aimed for the closest car. Her shot hit the driver's window and the car swerved off course, colliding with the one next to it, taking both off the road.

Refocusing, Jane let off another shot, hearing similar shots being fired from Benji. One of the bullets hit a pursuing car's tire, blowing it out, sending the men to a screeching halt.

The remaining cars took another few shots at Brandt's car, causing him to swerve and hit the side of the guardrail. The front bumper crumbled and the car came to a stop. She saw Ethan running over to them, his gun held out in front of him. "Jane, get the car!"

Jane yelled an affirmative, shouldered her gun and descending from the roof. She knew Ethan and Benji could handle the remaining car.

* * *

Ethan dashed over to the crashed car, firing off rounds as he went. The driver's side door opened and Brandt tumbled out, shooting at the approaching henchmen.

"Will!" Ethan cried, so relieved to see his friend and team mate alive and relatively unharmed that he found himself calling him by his first name.

"Ethan," gasped Brandt, straightening himself on shaky legs, waiting to see if any more of Donner's men were coming after them. It appeared they'd gotten them all.

"Ethan?" a familiar woman's voice rang out, and Ethan turned to look in astonishment as Julia dashed around the front of the car and threw herself into Ethan's arms.

"Julia?" Ethan was astonished. He turned to Brandt. "Brandt?" His voice had a dangerous tone to it.

Before Brandt could reply, Benji was running over to them. He stopped short when he caught sight of Julia. "Julia?" he asked, his jaw dropping.

"Benji?" She seemed just as surprised to see him.

Just then, the squeal of tires announced Jane's arrival, as she screamed to a stop in front of them. She looked on in confusion at the group who seemed too shocked to get in the van. "Ethan!" she called. "What-?"

Benji looked back and forth between Julia and Ethan. "Julia – but – how –" he shot Brandt a bewildered look. "Brandt?" he demanded.

Jane frowned at the girl in Ethan's arms that Benji had just addressed as Julia. "Julia?" she asked, looking for clarification.

Ethan was the first to snap out of it, going back to leader mode and began issuing orders. "Get in the van, everybody in the van!" he snapped, and ushered them all inside. Once in, he turned his glare on Jane, who was regarding them through the rear-view mirror. "Jane!" he barked, and she immediately tore out and began driving towards the safe house.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Thanks again everyone! Hope you all enjoy this chapter. After this, there's only one more to go!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Mission:Impossible

**Warnings**: Strong language

Chapter 8

Miraculously, silence reigned in the van for the short drive to the safe house. It only lasted until they crossed the threshold, however, because all hell broke loose.

Ethan turned to Julia, pulling him into his arms. "Are you all right?" he asked, concern leaking through his words and showing in his eyes.

She nodded, and managed a weak smile. "I'm fine," she assured him.

"Good," he said, and the concern disappeared, replaced by anger and fury. He rounded on Brandt, who stood off to the side with Jane and Benji. "What the hell, Brandt?" he demanded.

Brandt scowled. "What do you mean, what the hell?"

"How the hell did you get her involved in this?" Ethan stalked towards him, looking angrier by the second.

Brandt wasn't intimidated. Whether fuelled by the adrenaline still coursing through his body or the anger that he was picking up from Ethan, or the fact that he was in too much pain to consider Ethan a threat, Brandt stepped forward. "I didn't get her involved in this," he growled.

Ethan poked a finger at his chest. "Then why the hell is she here? I want to know how the hell she got involved in all this!"

Brandt swatted at Ethan's finger. "Why the hell are you asking me? I didn't do anything! I didn't know Donner was going to grab her! He didn't even know it was her, for Christ's sake!"

"Donner grabbed her? What for?"

"Because she was a nurse and he wanted me kept alive."

Ethan's voice rose several degrees. "So you got her involved in this."

Julia cringed as she watched the two. Ethan's face was growing redder by the minute as he shouted at William; and William's face was growing paler by the minute, probably from the pain. She needed to stop this; it was unnecessary and counter-productive. "Ethan, please," she said, laying a hand on his arm. "It's not Will's fault. Stop this."

He shook her hand off his arm. Not even sparing her a look, he growled, "Stay out of this, Julia."

She gaped at him as she took several steps back, coming to a stop between a tense Benji and Jane. She watched helplessly as Ethan and Brandt continued their shouting match.

"Oh my god," Benji muttered, tearing his eyes from the spectacle in front of him to look at Julia. "I don't believe it. I don't bloody believe it."

"Why don't you sit down," Jane suggested gently, leading Julia over to a couch and easing her into it. Jane spotted her bloodstained clothes and gasped. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Julia shook her head. "I'm fine. This isn't mine, it's Donner's."

Jane breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, that's good. I guess. Would you like anything? Water?"

Julia shook her head again and cast another glance at the men. "It's really not his fault," she whispered.

Jane sat down next to her, sighing heavily. "I know. Ethan does, too." She watched them for another minute. "I think Ethan's just angry and worried. He probably blames himself. I'm sure Brandt does too." She shook her head. "They're alike, in some ways, more than I'm sure they know. Even though Ethan likes to take missions by the seat of his pants and Brandt likes things more planned out. This isn't exactly uncommon. Shouting at each other sometimes is the only way they know how to blow off some steam."

"I wish they wouldn't," Julia said. "Will's injured. He really shouldn't be moving."

Jane looked over at Brandt and cursed. How hadn't she noticed? Why didn't she think of that before? He was so pale, and his left leg was covered in blood-soaked bandages and blood was leaking out, dripping onto the floor. "Ethan! Brandt! Knock it off!" Jane yelled, standing up from the couch. They both ignored her. She rounded on Benji. "Do something, Benji!" she hissed.

He regarded her with wide eyes. "Me?" he squealed in an embarrassingly high-pitched voice. "Are you joking? They are very angry, very strong, very skilled, and," he added in a mock whisper, "they have guns!"

Jane huffed and marched over to them. At the moment she was more angry at them than scared. She stepped between them and yelled, "Enough! That's enough! This is so unprofessional! Will, you are injured, so sit the hell down."

Brandt, who looked like all the fight had finally left him, swayed slightly on the spot. Ethan was quick to grab hold of his arm and lead him to a seat. "Fuck," he muttered. For all his yelling, he was still concerned for Brandt and was now angry with himself for not seeing Brandt's injury sooner. He'd just seen red as soon as he realized Julia was Brandt's civilian.

Brandt collapsed onto the chair, breathing heavily and trying to catch his breath. Jane hurried over with a first-aid kit and crouched down to get a better look at his leg. She pushed aside the shredded pant leg and peeled off the bandages. Julia knelt next to her and surveyed the damage.

"Will," she sighed, "you tore your stitches. Again."

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Here," Benji said softly, offering him a glass of water. Brandt took it gratefully and chugged half of it back in one breath.

When Julia and Jane had patched Brandt's leg back up to relative satisfaction, Jane spoke up. "Now will someone please explain what the hell is going on?" She directed her words to Brandt. "You said that Julia was dead."

"I know," Brandt said. "That's what I thought when I told you." Jane raised an eyebrow in response, but this time Ethan spoke.

"I faked Julia's death," he said softly as he lowered himself into a chair. "She wasn't safe with me. In Croatia, the Serbians got a hold of her, but I managed to get her back. We made it look like they'd killed her, so that she would be able to live a normal, relatively safe life." He linked his fingers together and rested his chin on them, regarding Julia with such emotion; the others almost felt as if they were intruding.

Jane let the news wash over her. She felt numb. The shock of hearing that Ethan's wife was dead had been great, but now knowing that it had all been a lie? Her eyes travelled over to Brandt, who was looking at the wall, that familiar gleam of guilt in his eyes. There was something in the way that he'd handled this, and the way that Ethan and Brandt had spoken that didn't sit right with her. "Did you know?" she asked Brandt cautiously, the confusion evident in her wavering voice.

He looked up at her, and she could read it in his eyes. Normally a hard to read person, she put it down to the pain and exhaustion he was feeling, because she could read him like a book. "Uh," he began, catching Ethan's eye. "Uh, yeah, I knew. Ethan told me in Seattle, after the Cobalt mission." A sudden feeling of betrayal twisted in her gut.

Benji's mouth was still wide open, looking back and forth between Ethan, Brandt, and Julia. "Why didn't you tell us?" he asked, a hurtful look crossing his face.

Ethan sighed a deep, tired sigh and rubbed his face. "I'm sorry, Benji. It was only supposed to be me, Julia and the Secretary who knew. But in Seattle, Brandt…" he trailed off, not wanting to say out loud just how much guilt he could sense from Brandt and how much he'd wanted to make that undeserved guilt go away. Because he'd wanted him on his team. He was a good agent. "It's not as if I didn't trust you guys. I do."

A few moments of silence passed before Jane cleared her throat. "So," she began, addressing Julia. "I still don't understand what you're doing here."

"Yeah," Benji chimed.

"Well," Julia started, wringing her hands in her lap. "I had just gotten off work and I was walking to my car, when two men grabbed me. They threw me in the trunk and took me to this house, where Donner told me that I needed to keep Will alive. He didn't tell me why, or what they needed him for, just locked me in the room with him and gave me all the medical supplies I needed."

"So he didn't know who you were?" Benji asked.

Julia shook her head. "No, I was just Samantha Heart, a nurse. He didn't suspect anything."

"And Donner? What happened to him? I didn't see him in those cars," Jane said, her brow furrowing.

"Will shot Donner. He was trying to bargain for the codes. He must have called in reinforcements right before he died."

Jane turned to speak to Brandt, but caught sight of his face. He looked drawn and exhausted, his face pale, accentuating the dark bags underneath his eyes. He looked like he was struggling to keep up with the conversation. "Will," she said. "I think you need some rest." She knew just how tired and in pain he was because he didn't even argue as she helped him to the bedroom to lie down. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

When Jane returned to the living room, Julia and Ethan, hands entwined, were entering the other bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

Benji reclined back on the sofa, sighing and looking at the ceiling. "I don't know what to think anymore," he confided.

"I know," Jane agreed. "It's just…so…"

"We're always the last to know, aren't we?" Benji asked dryly, voicing Jane's exact thoughts.

Jane shrugged. "Ethan wanted to keep her safe. No one was supposed to know. And Brandt…well, it was sort of personal for him. That's probably the only reason he agreed to join the team, I think."

"Yeah, I guess," Benji agreed grudgingly.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N**: Alas, we have come to the end of our journey! Thanks sooo much to everyone who's reviewed/favourited/alerted this story! The response to this has just been so overwhelming, I am in so much shock. You guys are awesome! Enjoy this last chapter and maybe I'll see you around in this fandom.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Mission:Impossible.

Chapter 9

The five of them stood alone on a secluded tarmac just as the sun was beginning to rise. Off to the side a small jet sat, stairs down and awaiting passengers.

Julia stood beside Ethan, a small backpack clutched in her hand, filled with a few necessary essentials that would hold her over until she got settled. She flashed them all a smile. "I'd like to say that I hope we meet again; but I don't think that would end very well," she joked. Everyone shared a quiet chuckle.

She stepped over to Jane and embraced her. The two shared a few words before Julia went over to give Benji a hug. He grinned at her. "Take care, Julia. You're right, I don't want to see you again." She laughed loudly at that and smacked him lightly on the arm.

Julia stepped over to Brandt, who was looking much better now then he had two days ago when they'd escaped from Donner. His leg was starting to heal nicely after two full days of rest and no strenuous activity, and the colour had returned to his face. She pulled him into a tight hug and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you," she said.

He smiled. "Be safe, okay?"

She nodded and stepped back, turning to Ethan. The two stared at each other for several long moments before Ethan swept her into his arms. The couple shared a long, passionate kiss, before the jet started its engines. They broke apart and Ethan begrudgingly led his wife over to the jet, where it would take her off to begin a new life.

The four stayed on the tarmac as the plane took off down the runway, watching it go until it was no longer visible in the sky. At that point, Ethan turned to Brandt.

The two hadn't spoken besides cursory responses or relaying important information over the last two days. It had been tense for everyone, but the team figured sooner or later the two would work it out.

"Will, look, I –" Ethan began, shuffling his feet and looking contrite.

Brandt held up a hand. "No need to apologize, Ethan. I get it. You were worried and surprised when you saw her. You just wanted to keep her safe. I'd do the same."

Ethan nodded, a sincere expression in his eyes. "And you did. You kept her safe. Thank you." He emphasized his last two words.

Brandt held out his hand, a smile tugging at his lips. "We're good?" He asked, echoing the words he'd spoken in Seattle.

Ethan gripped Brandt's offered hand, a smile also on his face. "We're good," he agreed.

-FIN-


End file.
